This comes from an interview with the opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who recently published a book in Russia which alleges that Gazprom is used as a money laundering vehicle to line the pockets of numerous officials in the Kremlin.  The interview was conducted by Mumin Shakirov (M.S.) for Russia Profile.

M.S.: Is Gazprom a weapon for blackmailing the West, or a tool for stuffing the pockets of the Kremlin bureaucrats?

B.N.: Both. Gazprom is Putin’s personal project, and a massive source of money at that. Gazprom’s annual earnings account for $94 billion–the most powerful geopolitical weapon.

M.S.: Does the Kremlin put this weapon to good use?